Immediately west of Bucks Bay the coast transforms as a deep nearshore zone permits the high southwest swell to reach the beaches, producing higher energy beaches backed by some substantial sand dune systems. Cape Banks is a cuspate foreland protruding 500 m seaward in lee of calcarenite rocks and reefs. To the east is a 2.4 km long curving southwest facing beach (43) backed by nine active blowouts and dune extending up to 300 m inland and reaching heights of 20 m. The gravel road from Carpenters Rocks skirts the back of the dunes providing access to the Cape Banks lighthouse (constructed 1882) and the beaches to either side of the foreland. The eastern beach receives waves averaging 1.5 m in the centre, which usually maintain about six rips along the beach and a surf zone up to 200 m wide. Wave decrease toward the eastern point as shallow reef dominates the nearshore. read more

Beach Length: 2.4km